Indian national arrested in Solok with 1.4 kg of illegal gold
Police suspect the gold came from unlicensed mines in Sijunjung and Solok and was bound for Malaysia through a financier identified as N.
West Sumatra Police arrested an Indian national identified as A, 39, in Solok City on Thursday night on suspicion of trading gold from illegal mines. Police seized three gold bars weighing a total of 1.4 kilograms, a digital scale, Rp6,03 million in cash and a mobile phone when they detained him at a gas station in Lubuk Sikarah District at about 21:45 WIB. In an initial examination, A was suspected of acting on orders from a financier identified as N, who is in Malaysia. The gold bars were believed to have come from unlicensed mines in Sijunjung Regency and Gerabak Data, Solok Regency, before being picked up by N's trusted associate and taken to Malaysia. Police charged the suspect under Article 161 of the Mineral and Coal Mining Law and are coordinating with Immigration and the Indian Embassy while expanding the investigation.